Tag: NFL trades

Justin Fields injury gives Steelers upper hand in Bears trade

Justin Fields’ absence cements a favorable draft pick outcome for the Steelers, turning a conditional trade into a clear win.

It is never a good feeling for fans when their favorite team’s players suffer an injury of any kind. This is especially true for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ backup QB Justin Fields, whose absence not only heavily weakens the depth behind QB Russell Wilson but also results in the loss of the ever-dynamic ‘Fields rushing packages.’

However, Fields missing his team’s Week 16 contest against the Baltimore Ravens complicates the Steelers-Bears trade in favor of the Black and Gold.

One condition of the trade that saw the Pittsburgh Steelers send a 2025 conditional sixth-round pick to the Chicago Bears is that Fields would need to play over 51 percent of snaps for the pick to become a fourth-round draft selection. As fans can guess, his Week 16 absence makes this completely impossible now.

Early in the season, with Fields starting six games straight to open the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2024 campaign, it was expected the Bears would receive a fourth-round draft pick.

Wilson’s emergence not only changed the offense for the better, but it now seems to have assisted in what can only be described as a slam-dunk trade by Steelers GM Omar Khan.

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Receivers, pass rushers dominate moves before NFL trade deadlines

A rundown of the moves made around the league before the trade deadline.

What is often the case in the NFL at this time of year, the trading period ended at 2 p.m. Arizona time Tuesday with not a bang but a whimper. Call it many breaths of hot air after the constant chatter and speculation, mostly from fan bases that believe one move in early November will make a huge impact during the second half of the season and beyond.

Consider this: In 2023, there were 15 trades involving 16 players after roster cutdown to 53 players, while only nine happened on the trade deadline.

Of those 16 players, only seven are still with the team that acquired them. And that includes running back Cam Akers, who was traded by the Rams to the Vikings and then signed with the Texans in July after not being tendered as a restricted free agent four months earlier.

Akers is now back in Minnesota after Houston traded him on Oct. 16. There were three 2026 draft picks in those deals, one in the sixth round and two in the seventh with all being conditional.

The other six are Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman, Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams, Bears defensive end Montez Sweat, Jaguars guard Ezra Cleveland and Bills cornerback Rasul Douglas.

Three players aren’t even in the league and one is on a practice squad.

Of the 26 draft choices that changed hands, 19 were sixth- or seventh-rounders, with seven being conditional.

The Cardinals made one trade last year, sending quarterback Joshua Dobbs to the Vikings and one this week, acquiring edge rusher Baron Browning from the Broncos.

The numbers were similar this year with 18 total trades of 19 players with eight on deadline day Tuesday. Wide receiver was the most popular position with six switching teams.

Of the 29 choices traded, 17 were in the sixth or seventh round with three conditional. Overall, 18 were for picks in 2026, 10 in 2026 and one in 2027.

Not surprisingly, eight teams with a winning record acquired 12 players: Steelers 3; Chiefs and Vikings 2; Cardinals, Bills, Lions, Commanders and Ravens 1.

Conversely, eight teams with a losing record traded 12 players: Browns, Jaguars, Panthers, Titans 2; Raiders, Patriots, Saints and Jets 1.

There is often a push to have the deadline later in the season, but that would only shorten the time for players to adapt to a new scheme with new language and new players.

Here are this year’s trades with all the details:

Oct. 15: Browns WR Amari Cooper with sixth-round pick (from Detroit) in 2025 to Bills for third-round pick in 2025, seventh-round pick in 2026.

Oct. 15: Raiders WR Davante Adams to Jets for third-round pick in 2025 (conditional).

Oct. 15: Jaguars DT Roy Robertson-Harris to Seahawks for sixth-round pick in 2026.

Oct. 16: Texans RB Cam Akers to Vikings for seventh-round pick in 2026 (conditional)

Oct. 24: Titans ILB Ernest Jones to Seahawks for ILB Jerome Baker and fourth-round pick in 2025.

Oct. 24: Titans WR DeAndre Hopkins to Chiefs for fifth-round pick in 2025 (conditional).

Oct. 28: Patriots DE Joshua Uche to Chiefs for sixth-round pick in 2026.

Oct. 30: Panthers WR Diontae Johnson with sixth-round pick in 2025 to Steelers for fifth-round pick in 2025.

Oct. 31: Jaguars T Cam Robinson with seventh-round pick in 2026 (conditional) to Vikings for fifth-round pick in 2026 (conditional).

Nov. 4: Broncos OLB Baron Browning to Cardinals for sixth-round pick in 2025.

Nov. 5: Bears RB Khalil Herbert to Bengals for sixth-round pick in 2025.

Nov. 5: Browns DE Za’Darius Smith with seventh-round pick in 2026 to Lions for fifth-round pick in 2025, 6th-round pick in 2026.

Nov. 5: Panthers WR Jonathan Mingo with seventh-round pick (from Kansas City) in 2025 (conditional) to Cowboys for fourth-round pick in 2025.

Nov. 5: Saints CB Marshon Lattimore with fifth-round pick in 2025 to Commanders for third-, fourth- and sixth-round picks (from New Orleans) in 2025.

Nov. 5: Jets WR Mike Williams to Steelers for fifth-round pick in 2025 (conditional).

Nov. 5: Rams CB Tre’Davious White with seventh-round pick in 2027 to Ravens for seventh-round pick in 2026.

Nov. 5: Packers OLB Preston Smith to Steelers for seventh-round pick in 2025.

Nov. 5: Texans DT Khalil Davis to 49ers for seventh-round pick in 2026.

2025 picks traded (18): 3 in third round (1 conditional); 3 in fourth round; 5 in fifth round (2 conditional); 4 in sixth round; 3 in seventh round (1 conditional)

2026 picks traded (10): 1 in fifth round (conditional); 3 in sixth round; 6 in seventh round (2 conditional).

2027 pick traded: 1 in seventh round.

Positions traded: Wide receiver 6; edge 4; running back, defensive tackle, inside linebacker, cornerback 2; tackle 1.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

49ers swing trade for DL help at the trade deadline buzzer

The 49ers made a trade!

The San Francisco 49ers made a move in the closing moments of Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.

According to the Athletic’s Dianna Russini, the 49ers are dealing a 2026 seventh-round pick to the Houston Texans for defensive tackle Khalil Davis.

It’s not a huge surprise the 49ers and Texans linked up for a trade. They also came together on a deal that sent DT Maliek Collins to San Francisco over the offseason.

Davis, a 2020 sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of Nebraska, bounced around the league a couple of times before finding a home last season in Houston.

As a rookie with the Buccaneers, Davis played in only two games. The next year with the Indianapolis Colts he saw action in only one game before getting let go mid-season.

In 2022 Davis was on practice squads with the Steelers, Buccaneers and Rams.

The Texans signed him during the 2023 preseason and he wound up playing in 15 games for them. He notched 2.0 of his 3.0 career sacks. He added another this year where he’s contributed in all nine of Houston’s games.

It’s unlikely Davis will make a major impact, but he’ll fit in as a rotational interior defensive lineman where San Francisco has been thin since DT Javon Hargrave went down. Adding depth for the price of a future seventh-round pick is a nice move for the 49ers.

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Report: 49ers won’t get chance to add rising star DE at trade deadline

It doesn’t sound like the 49ers will be acquiring DE Azeez Ojulari.

The San Francisco 49ers are running out of options to add defensive end help ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

Well before Tuesday’s 1:00pm deadline, the Kansas City Chiefs acquired DE Josh Uche from the New England Patriots. On Tuesday, DE Za’Darius Smith was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Detroit Lions. After that, the Green Bay Packers dealt DE Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

San Francisco might have been aiming to acquire New York Giants DE Azeez Ojulari, but it sounds like he won’t be on the move.

NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reported Ojulari isn’t likely to get dealt after the Giants held firm on a steep asking price for the 24-year-old.

It’s not a huge surprise the 49ers didn’t want to overpay for a potential rental. Ojulari is in the final year of his contract and figures to command a sizable deal in free agency. He has 6.0 sacks in nine games this season and has stayed healthy after dealing with injuries that limited him to 18 games across the 2022 and 2023 seasons.

For San Francisco, draft capital is going to be important piece of their future with so a roster that will likely rely less on veterans over the next couple of seasons. They’ll need premium picks to replenish their roster, and it’s unlikely they’ll be able to retain Ojulari in free agency.

The 49ers need help on the defensive line, but it doesn’t sound like it’ll come in a trade with the Giants.

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Report offers bad news for 49ers with 2 high-priced trade targets

Reunions with DJ Jones or DeForest Buckner don’t appear to be on the table for the 49ers.

It’s unclear whether the San Francisco 49ers’ lack of activity in the trade market is a sign of a quiet trade deadline, or a calm before the storm.

The 49ers may be aiming to bolster a handful of positions at the deadline, but the interior of the defensive line remains perhaps their biggest area of need following defensive tackle Javon Hargrave’s season-ending triceps injury.

Unfortunately for San Francisco, the two biggest names floating around the trade rumor mill aren’t anticipated to be available.

The Athletic’s Diana Russini on Saturday reported neither Indianapolis Colts DT DeForest Buckner nor Denver Broncos DT DJ Jones are expected to be available before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

Both former 49ers would plug into San Francisco’s current defensive line and offer upgrades in run stopping and as pass rushers. The 49ers are working with a rotating cast of replacements for Hargrave, and they’ve now dipped into their practice squad to bring undrafted rookie Evan Anderson into that rotation.

Jones is in the final year of a three-year, $30 million deal he signed with Denver ahead of the 2022 season. The 2017 sixth-round pick of the 49ers has 11.0 sacks and 32 tackles for loss across 100 games in the NFL.

Buckner, a first-round pick in the 2016 draft by the 49ers, is in the first year of a two-year, $46 million extension he signed this offseason. He’s due $23 million guaranteed next year, with no guaranteed money in 2026 before the contract voids in 2027 per Over the Cap.

The 49ers could comfortably fit both players under the salary cap which helps if they want to try and overpay to coax the Broncos or Colts into moving one of their starting defensive tackles.

Russini also confirmed reporting that Patriots DT Davon Godchaux is available. That may be the kind of move the 49ers have to settle for since the big swings for Buckner or Jones don’t appear to be on the table.

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Why 49ers won’t make big splash at 2024 trade deadline

The 49ers will likely be active at the trade deadline, but don’t expect them to make a big splash.

The San Francisco 49ers are in a weird place as the 2024 NFL trade deadline approaches.

They entered this year hoping to make another Super Bowl run, and their 4-4 record has them in the thick of the playoff race as the get to their Week 9 Bye. On the other hand, San Francisco through eight weeks hasn’t looked like a Super Bowl contender, which makes the trade deadline an important point for them in the 2024 campaign.

While a big-time trade may be what the 49ers ultimately need to get over the hump, don’t expect them to push all their chips in for a run this season.

The 49ers’ front office has been aggressive in making acquisitions since general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan took over. That’s especially true when they feel like such moves will help them win a Super Bowl. However, they’ve typically juxtaposed that ‘all-in’ mentality with an eye toward the future. There’s an immediate plan, but there’s also a longer term vision that includes the three-plus years down the road.

A longer-term vision may be what keeps them from unloading premium assets in a trade during a season where they’ve started 4-4.

The 49ers are in something of a transition period with their roster where the next three or four years will see an exodus of the core veterans that have kept their championship window open since the 2019 season. Players like left tackle Trent Williams, fullback Kyle Juszczyk and tight end George Kittle are reaching a point where they won’t be substantial parts of the team in three or four years. That job belongs to the likes of quarterback Brock Purdy, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, defensive end Nick Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner. They represent a new core that would ideally throw open a new Super Bowl window.

That group will need the support of draft picks that will theoretically replace some of the exiting veterans.

In some ways the 49ers are already feeling the sting of losing three first-round picks in the Trey Lance trade before the 2021 draft. The lack of top-end depth has hurt them as veterans have gotten too expensive to keep and injuries have forced the club to dig deeper into their depth chart. That shrinks their margin for error with the selections that will help comprise their new core of players on a Super Bowl contender.

It’s hard to believe a team that’s generally so focused on the future will push all its chips in to try and make a run with this 2024 club.

Instead of using premium future draft capital, they’ll likely aim to shell out some later-round picks for depth along the defensive line, or wherever the team believes it most needs the assistance. That’ll allow them to thread the needle between trying to contend this year without mortgaging their future.

Some better depth at a couple of key spots combined with the impending return of reigning Offensive Player of the Year Christian McCaffrey should be enough to at least put the 49ers in the conversation when it comes to this year’s Super Bowl.

A big splash in the trade market would definitely put them there, but there’s too much at stake in the future for the 49ers to go make such a splash now.

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It sure sounds like Sean McVay has some regret over the terrible Ernest Jones trade

The Rams shockingly traded Ernest Jones for almost nothing in return and Sean McVay seems to regret that move now

As good a tandem as Sean McVay and Les Snead are in Los Angeles, they haven’t exactly gotten the greatest returns when it comes to trading players like Jalen Ramsey, Marcus Peters and now Ernest Jones.

At the time, the decision to trade away Jones just before Week 1 was a curious one. What they got in return was even more shocking. Along with Jones, the Rams traded a 2026 sixth-round pick to the Titans for a 2026 fifth-rounder – essentially moving up just one round in exchange for one of the team’s best defenders.

We haven’t gotten the full story on the reasoning behind that puzzling deal, but it sure sounds like McVay has some regrets about it. With Jones now in Seattle after the Titans traded him to the Seahawks last week – for more than the Rams got in their trade, mind you – McVay was asked about the trade and how it’s worked out.

“I think I’ve been pleased with some of the things that guys have done. It’d be hard to deny the production that he’s had when you look at what he’s done at Tennessee and even just in his first week (in Seattle) last week,” McVay said. “He’s a great player and he did a lot of good things for us. I think all the decisions that we make in the moment we feel like are in the best interest. I’m not going to pretend and act like every decision is accurate. You try to be able to learn from it and apply it moving forward, but you know that you’re playing against a really well-respected player, mentally and physically tough. Seems like he’s always around the football. I wish him well and it’s going to be a great challenge going against him.”

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IGl3tvST6DE?si=HICXTyVWLUQT8Wnv

Jones seemed to be playing well for the Titans before they surprisingly traded him to the Seahawks for Jerome Baker and a fourth-round pick, but he’s already had a positive impact on the Seahawks.

In his first game with Seattle just four days after being traded to the Seahawks, he had 15 tackles and played every single snap. He’s always been a dynamic playmaker in the middle of the defense, particularly against the run and as a blitzer, and there’s no question the Rams could use him right about now.

Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom have not played well, and now Reeder is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Omar Speights has a promising future but he’s not close to where Jones currently is as a player.

Don’t be surprised if Jones has a big game against his former team on Sunday, reminding them what they traded away for a bag of peanuts.

49ers can’t continue waiting to get aggressive in trade market

The 49ers can’t sit around and wait for the trade market to dry up.

It’s clear after eight weeks that the San Francisco 49ers’ roster, as currently constructed, isn’t a viable Super Bowl contender.

Injuries have played a role, to be sure, but the 49ers badly need help at multiple positions if they’re going to make a run after their Week 9 Bye.

Unfortunately for the 49ers, they won’t have another game before the Nov. 5 trade deadline. They know everything they’re going to know about their roster by the time the deadline passes, save for how running back Christian McCaffrey will respond as he ramps up to return from his Achilles tendinitis.

San Francisco has been aggressive in the trade market in the past, and it’s time for them to hit the gas pedal again.

The Kansas City Chiefs, a Super Bowl contender, have already acquired wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins from the Tennessee Titans and edge rusher Josh Uche from the New England Patriots. Hopkins was available for a conditional fifth-round pick in the 2025 draft. Uche was had for a 2026 sixth-round selection.

Perhaps San Francisco wasn’t looking for a receiver of Hopkins’s caliber, but they need edge help and Uche would have been an upgrade over a player like Robert Beal.

Elsewhere in the AFC, the Baltimore Ravens bolstered their receiving corps by sending a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for WR Diontae Johnson and a 2025 sixth-round pick.

In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings lost left tackle Christian Darrisaw to a season-ending knee injury. They filled that gaping hole by dealing a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for left tackle Cam Robinson and a conditional seventh-round pick.

These are Super Bowl contenders that have identified areas of weakness on their rosters and sent out relatively limited draft capital to buttress them. If the 49ers want to be in that group, they should be acting now before other contenders start scooping up available contributors.

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49ers have to use trade deadline to separate from jam-packed NFC West

It’s trade time for the 49ers … look no further than the jam-packed NFC West for proof:

Part of the reason the San Francisco 49ers’ win over the Dallas Cowboys was so massive is because of their place in the NFC West.

Had the 49ers lost to Dallas on Sunday night it would have dropped them to last place in the division, a half game below the 3-4 Los Angeles Rams. Instead, they won and put themselves in the thick of a logjam at the top.

Coming out of Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals lead the NFC West by way of head-to-head tiebreakers with the Seattle Seahawks and 49ers. All three teams are 4-4 after eight weeks.

The 49ers are in second place thanks to their head-to-head victory over the Seahawks.

Seattle is in third with the Rams bringing up the rear only a half game back of the 4-4 trio.

It’s clear, as currently constructed, the 49ers are going to be in a dogfight to reclaim the NFC West crown. They’ve struggled to close out games. Their injury situation has left them digging deep into their roster, and through half a season they don’t appear to be a Super Bowl contender.

Running back Christian McCaffrey’s return at some point after their Week 9 Bye will be helpful. However, the trade deadline is where the 49ers can create some real separation.

Neither the Seahawks nor Cardinals are likely to fancy themselves Super Bowl contenders. Both teams have been good, but the expectations for those clubs are significantly different than they are for the 49ers. There’s urgency in San Francisco that may not be felt in Seattle or Arizona.

The 49ers have a couple of clear needs to address at the deadline, and their front office during the Kyle Shanahan-John Lynch era hasn’t been shy about being aggressive.

Part of their need to make a move at the deadline is because they need to contend with the likes of Detroit, Kansas City and other Super Bowl contenders. The other part is creating some distance from the rest of their division.

San Francisco should be the best team in the NFC West. Approaching the deadline, they’re not. A couple of trades to shore up some of their issues on either side of the ball should help them re-establish dominance in the division in time to make a run and leave the rest of the logjam behind them.

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NFL trade rumors: 49ers unlikely to have shot at best WR on market

The San Francisco 49ers may need to trade for a WR, but the best available player is probably not in their reach.

Brandon Aiyuk’s season-ending knee injury puts the San Francisco 49ers firmly in the front of the line for teams in need of wide receiver help.

They may look to find that help in the trade market, but the best available wide receiver may not be a player they’re able to get.

The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Tuesday reported the Los Angeles Rams are open to trading star WR Cooper Kupp, and they may be willing to take on some of his salary to execute the trade.

It’s hard to find a deal that makes more sense for the 49ers from a football and financial standpoint. Kupp, 31, is an outstanding, versatile WR who would fit in any offense, much less one as loaded as San Francisco’s. He’d also give quarterback Brock Purdy a reliable go-to target in the short and intermediate areas of the field.

He’d be affordable too, especially since the Rams are willing to take on some of his salary.

The overarching problem here is the Rams are in the NFC West and intra-division trades rarely happen, especially when they involve a player of Kupp’s caliber.

San Francisco might have a shot if there weren’t other WR-needy teams that might be willing to unload a second-round pick (or more) for Kupp. The Pittsburgh Steelers could use help at WR. So could the Kansas City Chiefs. Both of those clubs are not only not in the division, they’re not even in the conference.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are another club that may now be in need of a top-end WR following injuries to their top two receivers in Week 7.

Fortunately for the 49ers there should be a handful of quality receivers available for trade that can help them make up for Aiyuk’s absence. They’re just unlikely to be in the mix for perhaps the best trade target at the deadline.

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